Because the State has moved the 3–8 ELA and math State tests for the coming school year to April and May, some 3–8 Periodic Assessment dates have also changed to better align with the new assessment calendar. A few key points about schedule changes:
- Grades K–2: Only the E-PAL administration dates will change as explained below.
- Grades 3–8: Changes are mostly limited to the Acuity Predictive and ITA windows as shown below.
- Schools will not need to select new Periodic Assessments for 2009–10; Acuity orders will be automatically updated as described below.
- High School: There will be no changes to the high school assessment windows.
- DYO schools should to adjust their individual assessment plans as appropriate to accommodate the new State test calendar, but they are not required to submit new DYO assessment plans.
Schools that wish to select new Acuity ITA versions or to discuss formative assessment alternatives should contact the Periodic Assessment Team to discuss their needs and options by email at periodicassessment@schools.nyc.gov or by phone at 212-374-6930.
Read the
2009-10 K–8 Periodic Assessment Calendar.Read the
2009–10 High School Periodic Assessment Calendar.
Principals can review a summary of their school's Periodic Assessment selections by logging into the Online Selection Tool. Only principals can log into the Online Selection Tool, so we recommend that they save their selections summary as a PDF and share it with their staff.
Scroll down to find links to assessment resources that schools can use early in the year for information on their incoming students.
Acuity
There will be only three Acuity 3–8 assessment windows in 2009–10. The Acuity calendar will revert back to four assessment windows in 2010–11. The Periodic Assessment Team will consult with 3–8 educations and instructional leaders in the coming months in order to determine the final assessment schedule and offerings for 2010–11. If you have suggestions for the schedule and offerings, please reach out to your SATIF, Network, or periodicassessment@schools.nyc.gov.
Revised 2009–10 3–8 Acuity Assessment Schedule
All windows will include both math and ELA.
| ITA 1 November 9–20 |
The first ITA window has not changed. Schools that chose this window during the June selection window will receive the ITA versions that they ordered. |
| Predictive January 21– February 5 |
Schools that opted to participate in Predictive Assessments will receive the version (MC only or MC/CR) that they selected for the Predictive Assessments originally scheduled for October and December. |
ITA 2
March 8–19 |
Schools that ordered ITAs in window 2 (previously in April) or window 3 (previously in May) will receive their selections during the new window 2. Schools that originally ordered ITAs in both windows 2 and 3 will be contacted directly to discuss their formative assessment options.
Grade 8 students who take Integrated Algebra should take the Regents-Year Integrated Algebra Predictive Assessment during this window. |
E-PAL administration will move from May to January 11–25. The last days of the assessment window will overlap with the beginning of the the January Predictive assessments for grades 3–8. Schools that planned to use E-PAL to assess grade 3 students (in addition to or in place of an Acuity ITA) should plan their administration dates to allow students to take both assessments, or contact the Periodic Assessment Team to select a new ITA for their grade 3 students.
These assessments have flexible administration schedules. Schools should adjust their individual assessment plans as appropriate to accommodate the new State test calendar.
DYO schools do not need to resubmit their DYO proposals. However, DYO schools should evaluate how the changes to State test dates affect their proposed DYO plan and modify it as needed to ensure that their DYO assessment schedule is meeting students’ needs. Many DYO schools applied to use old State tests as the predictive element of their assessment plan. These schools should think critically about how the increased coverage of the new State tests may make supplementing old State test materials necessary.
The state has issued new guidance on math standards covered on the assessments. Please review this guidance and consider how you may need to fill any gaps that exist between those assessments described in your DYO proposal and those standards assessed on the new State test.
Assessment Resources for Fall 2009
Because schools will not have ELA grade 3–8 predictive results this October, as they have had the past two years, we recommend that they use other available assessment resources for information on their incoming students’ instructional needs.
- New 2009 New York State test item and skill matrix reports for grades 3-8 are located in each school's private community in ARIS. Principals can use these reports to identify trends in ELA and math performance for students across their school that they may address in the coming year, and teachers can use them to look for areas of focus with their incoming students.
- Results of students June Acuity Predictive assessments are reported in ARIS and the Acuity Web site to give teachers insight into students' understanding of skills and information taught after the 2009 State tests were administered.
- Performance Series online assessments are great diagnostic assessments for students at the start of the year because they adapt to each student to identify his or her current instructional level in reading, language arts, or math and suggest individualized learning objectives.